Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is held in an ever-present and rising awe. The entire statement is insightful and well-written, utilizing a number of literary and communication techniques. Martin Luther King gave a speech in front of more than 20,000 people that was inspirational and built on the history of a location already steeped in American ideals. The movie illustrates how literary strategies like repetition, rhyme, pauses, pitch inflection, passion, and cadence may be used effectively. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech is strategic in regards to the way it connects content and delivery and thus acts as a call to action to those who are desolate and oppressed.
From the use of language and voice, this is a peaceful speech aimed at sensitizing people who feel oppressed to take action and find ways of improving their lives. However, the kind of action that King expects the oppressed to take is a tactical one that will maintain armistice between those in power and those who feel oppressed (Mason). Instead of Martin Luther painting the White people as racists, he refers to them as ‘white brothers,’ ‘friends’ or ‘brotherhood’. Instead of painting the oppressed as victims and the white people as evil, he paints everyone as patriotic. His speech aims at sensitizing the masses that it is possible to work together for the purpose of national development (Kakutani). The idea here is that America can reach a point of being a peaceful cosmopolitan state if people work together (Mason).
The way King engenders a connection between the content and its delivery shows his strategic use of literary devices that further emphasizes on the meaning of the speech. Rhyme and repetition are predominantly evident through the utilization of the phrases “now is the time” and “I have a dream” (King). These two phrases are repeated over ten times, and they accentuate the meaning and inspiration behind their proclamations. Repetition and rhyme increase the effectiveness and impact of the declarations made by King. The idea here is to enthuse and embolden the oppressed masses on their abilities and the fact that they can reach a point of independence and self-sufficiency without haranguing the white people.
Each time King repeats the phrase, he utilizes tone, emotional appeal and vocal strategies to drive the point home. For example, each time King says “I have a dream”, his tone, volume, emotion and gaze changes (King). King uses pitch inflection and pauses as the vocal strategies that add to the drama and sense of climax. This way, the speech is received in such a manner that it is full of hope and inspiration (Kakutani). After the word ‘dream’, King pauses just so that he can let his point sink into the cognizance of his audience. Every time his volume increases, he shows the people that they are one and they can work together. His emotion is displayed with volume change in such a way that he shows his audience that he is vulnerable too. As a result, his audience tends to appreciate his words.
In Martin Luther King’s speech titled “I have a dream”, the delivery of the content plays a major role in its influence. The speech is made at the Lincoln Memorial Hall because this was considered a shrine where the President declared freedom for African American slaves. This is a place filled with history and King directed his speech to the oppressed masses. He used cadence; voice inflection, pause, rhyme, and repetition to develop an emphasis on his declarations. His speech was aimed at sensitizing the oppressed that they should not sit back and blame the white people but work hard to build the nation.
Works Cited
Kakutani, Michiko. “The Lasting Power of Dr. King’s Dream Speech.” New York Times 27 Aug. 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/us/the-lasting-power-of-dr-kings-dream-speech.html. Accessed 27 Jun. 2017.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. "I have a dream." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=147Y6VHc. Accessed 27 Jun. 2017.
Mason, Emma. “Is Martin Luther King's ‘I have a dream’ the greatest speech in history?” History Extra, 15 Jan. 2016. http://www.historyextra.com/feature/martin-luther-kings-i-have-dream-greatest-speech-history. Accessed 27 Jun. 2017.
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